Minutes to Midnight
by Elarix
Summary: Submission for SF: Holiday Contest. As New Year's Eve approaches, the now separated members of the Star Fox team must struggle with one question; If you only had moments to live... what would you do?


**=/\= Minutes to Midnight =/\=**

**=/\= The _Other_ New Year's Eve One-shot =/\=**

** A/N: By that, I mean there are only two New Year's themed Star Fox stories out there :( but a Hanukkah one would be even more rare. What? No-one volunteering? I thought not. **

** This story is also a milestone for me... I finally figured out how to do the little page break thingies.**

* * *

Fox McCloud slid to a stop next to an open doorway, breathing heavily from both physical exertion and adrenaline. Trying to silence his ragged breathing, he regulated his air intake to the bare minimum he needed and ignored his lungs telling him to breathe. He had just entered a seemingly abandoned warehouse in Syvarris city, Corneria, a few thousand miles east of Corneria City itself. The cold air of winter drifted in through a broken window on his left, causing his breath to turn to fog. A streetlamp outside illuminated a constellation of snow lazily drifting through the window, also casting a shadow behind Fox's crouched figure. Holding his breath completely now, Fox uneasily poked his head through the doorway and peered into the room.

Five figures were seated around a cheap table, a single candle barely illuminating them. One was leaning over the table with his paws outstretched to absorb any heat he could from the miniscule flame. They talked in gruff, quiet voices that Fox couldn't understand. Though they seemed like normal citizens, Fox could tell from the black silhouettes of their weapons they were much more than that. They were his contacts.

Ducking back through the doorway, Fox let out his breath and opened a communications line on his wrist comm. The lofty yet calculated voice of an owl soon answered him. "Eldar Mothchild speaking. I assume you found them?"

"Yes, I'm at the meeting point," Fox answered. "But why all the secrecy? Why can't I just approach them now? They have the credits with them."

"I... had to tell you something, before you reached them."

Genuine confusion tinged Fox's voice. "What?"

A few seconds of silence passed, in which he guessed his employer was struggling with his answer.

"You must kill them. All."

Fox gasped, thoughts racing in his head. He started sweating so that his head was damp and his hands felt clammy holding the wrist comm. "That... That wasn't in the contract."

"It is now," came the impartial answer. "I see no compelling reasons for paying every one of them. This way I only have you to reward." As Fox was unresponsive, Mothchild continued, "You mustn't hesitate now. Failure will result in the immediate discontinuation of your services. Your reputation as a private operative is at stake here. You're an exceptional agent, McCloud. No one wants to see your career ruined by mere ethical concerns."

Again, Fox didn't answer. The conflict in his mind had frozen him completely.

Mothchild's unforgiving voice would not let him think for a moment. "Well, McCloud, I can't wait forever. I need an answer now. _Will you comply?_"

Finally, he gritted his teeth and answered, "Alright. I'll do it."

Fox could clearly picture a satisfied grin twisting the owl's beak as Mothchild continued. "I knew you would get over it. Killing in cold blood is much more different than killing in war, I know. But morals are only for the proletariat... _right_, Fox? This is an important step in your transcendence to the elite. Your friends, Lombardi and the rest of them, came over soon enough, though most of them did end up in..."

Fox was no longer paying attention to Mothchild's little monologue. He slowly lowered his wrist comm and turned it off, gut churning at what he was about to do. Mothchild was right. Fox had never killed anyone without provocation. In the past, his targets had always been enemy soldiers or criminals hiding from justice. Now there were no valid reasons for killing them. Not to mention the fact that he didn't have a glass window and hundreds of feet of open air separating him from his enemies. Now they were right in front of him. He would _see_ them die.

Once again, his breathing became ragged and uncontrolled. He stood up and drew his blaster, also making sure his knife was within easy reach in case close combat became necessary... and it would. Pressing himself against the side of the doorway, he listened for a few more seconds to his unsuspecting victims' conversation, raising his blaster to the side of his head. He felt his mind giving over to its animal instincts, the feral kind meant for survival. His heart beat raced to speeds he had only felt in battle, flying his arwing with his four teammates alongside him. It had been five long years since the last war. Since their last mission. Since they were together.

And now it was all coming back.

Closing his eyes, he let a flood of memories assault his mind, of colors and feelings and voices, and then he channeled them into his veins. His eyes snapped open and he spun around the corner into the room, his adrenaline exploding in pent up energy.

* * *

Stepping out of a corner coffee shop, Katt Monroe zipped up her leather jacket and shoved her paws into her pockets, protecting herself from the biting cold. The shop was an expensive one, not one she could fit into her unpredictable budget, but she thought _Heck with it, it__'__s __N__ew __Y__ear's, I might as well treat myself once._

Turning down the left street, she melded right into perpetual river of civilians that flowed through Corneria City, fading into the thousands of animals going about their daily lives. On a personal level, each animal was unique. As a whole, they were indistinguishable.

Head down, watching the shimmering wet pavement slip by beneath her feet, she began the modest trek back to her apartment, which was located only a few blocks to the west of where she was now. Coming to an intersection, she came to a stop and looked up to watch the light, realizing she was now in the central plaza of Corneria City.

It was the largest intersection on the planet, with famous shops, offices, and restaurants circling a wide open thoroughfare in the middle. Large LED screens hanging on the sides of the tallest buildings and holographic displays adorning their tops advertised company logos, the latest products, and upcoming events, the most important of which, the New Year's Celebration, which would start at 23:00, CST. Food and gift stands were being set up around the block, as well as decorations such as streamers hung from streetlamp to streetlamp, but the centerpiece of the display was a large, generic, black-and-white clock that lazily ticked away the seconds until midnight. Displayed on the largest and highest screen in the plaza, it was within easy sight of any passerby's glance.

As a red glow lit the street, Katt followed the rest of the crowd crossing the street into the main plaza, becoming a little river pouring into a larger lake of pedestrians. While crossing, Katt's boot brushed against a small patch of snow, no longer white and pure, but dirtied and saturated with the grime of the city. Looking up in the hope of a fresher snow-shower to replace the few signs of the last one, Katt watched the sky. Solar was sinking behind the cracks between the buildings, its last few ruby rays lighting up the plaza as the streetlamps turned on. To the east, the stars could barely be seen as they glimmered into existence, dazzling the inky blackness like flakes of snow.

One of the stars appeared much brighter than the others, catching Katt's alert eyes. She squinted at it, realizing it was steadily growing brighter. It suddenly sent a flash of light through the sky surrounding it, until it had increased to several times its normal size. Katt gasped and her mouth dropped open; a star had just exploded before here eyes.

She tapped a stranger's shoulder and pointed upward. "Excuse me, sir, I don't know how to say this, but there's something wrong with the sky..."

Looking at the sky, the racoon's jaw also dropped. "What in the name of... what is going on?"

"I don't know, I just happened to look up and notice that star. I've never seen anything like it before!"

Around them, more and more of the pedestrians stopped to observe the spectacle. A cry went up, as more fingers pointed to another star that seemed to explode. Eventually, three stars in all had silently spread a blinding glow across the sky. The noise level in the plaza increased as people excitedly whispered about the event with worried voices. Deciding that her apartment could wait, Katt climbed a set of stone stairs that led up to a monument dedicated to the Lylat Wars and sat down, surrounded by other civilians, also watching the sky for any more activity.

The raccoon she had talked with found her in the crowd and sat down next to her, saying, "I think I know what it is."

Katt raised her eyebrow, still focused on the sky. "What?"

"Supernovas. That's what they are... supernovas."

"But how did they happen out of the blue? And at the same time?"

The raccoon looked down, taking off his glasses. "That... I don't know."

Eventually, their waiting paid off. A news feed suddenly replaced a screen to the left of the New Year's Clock, displaying a worried news collie who looked like she had hastily applied her make-up and briefed for the situation.

"Breaking news," she started, hurriedly organizing her papers, "many civilians have reported three stars in the night sky visible from the Cornerian City latitude explode. The CASA has just released a report confirming that the stars indeed went supernova, even though there were no previous astronomical indications they would do so. CASA believes the occurrences were not natural, yes, they _were not_ natural. Experts have yet to figure out a reason for their seemingly random..."

The broadcast was joined by another on a smaller screen to the right of the New Year's clock, and then more and more as all of the news channels began reporting on the anomaly. The plaza was getting unbearably loud for Katt when suddenly every screen at the same time erupted in static and turned bleach white. Each screen acted in sync as a black hand materialized on the screen, which Katt immediately recognized as the Oikanny's personal emblem, the opposable thumb a symbol of their superiority over the rest of the animal kingdom. Dash Bowman's face soon replaced the hand. He was breathing heavily, with sweat beading his brow. He seemed extremely nervous, as if his speech would drop a bomb on the world's population.

"Citizens of Lylat, I appear to you now as I make the last stand of the Androssian legacy. The events you have just witnessed are not of a natural occurrence. They are a result of the experiments Andross was not able to complete in his lifetime, but my own scientists have." He paused a moment to wipe his brow, and wet his lips with a glass of water. Inhaling, he continued, "The end of the Animalia kingdom is near at hand. Years of war, years of hunger, years of suffering have marred Lylat's history since the beginning of time. Is this what we want? Is this what we have lived for? I am not speaking to you now to propose some wild bill to the senate, to promote a new political candidate, or to ramble on for hours on the sad condition of the world. I will not mince words. I am talking about now. The world's problems will be solved tonight, at midnight exactly..." here he trailed off, panting, as the citizens in the square held on to every word. "When I... destroy... the system."

The masses crowding the plaza gasped and began hurriedly talking. As if he could guess their thoughts, Bowman continued. "I have made no empty threat. At midnight, I will cause Solar to explode in a supernova, ensuring all life in the system is annihilated. Nothing can stop me now. Do not try. The time is currently 20:47, I suggest you make the last moments of your life count, for these precious few minutes are the most valuable minutes you will ever have. Good... bye..." he trailed off, wiping his brow and mumbling a few last words. "Now I am become death... the destroyer of worlds..."

The screen now returned to the New Year's clock, which took on a whole new meaning. Chills ran down Katt's spine as she watched the clock ominously tick down. The hour hand was moving sluggishly, the minute hand at a steady pace, but the second hand was moving too fast, way too fast. The one time symbol of celebration had become a symbol of impending doom.

Katt let her head fall into her hands, despair sinking in. She refused to believe it. It was completely impossible. Succumbing to pressure and fear, she curled up on the side-walk as the chaos of the square and the heavy knowledge of the end overwhelmed her. "What now?" she asked to the air.

Her raccoon companion quickly scooted over to her side, trying to comfort her. "I don't know, dear." As Katt hid her face in her hands, he continued to stare out into the plaza, thinking. "Its a tough question, but a classic one. If you only had moments to live... what would you do?"

* * *

Fox staggered out of the warehouse, drenched in blood and carrying a briefcase full of credits. Tears were flowing from his eyes, his pulse still racing while his gut was twisting inside of him from nausea. He dropped his blood-soaked knife onto the snow-covered ground, flung the briefcase off his back like a millstone, and bounded forwards with his last reserve of energy. His strength failing him, Fox slipped on the newly fallen snow and fell into the chilly powder. Pushing himself to his knees, he looked at his blood-stained paws, then felt his crimson soaked jacket and pants. Recoiling in disgust and fear, he plunged his hands into the cold snow, trying to clean them of the blood. He grabbed fistfuls of the icy flakes and rubbed them against his clothes, but nothing worked. He threw himself against the ground, writhing like a snake, but with no success; he could not get rid of the crimson stains.

Defeated, he curled into a fatal position, sobbing his eyes out like he had years ago when he learned his father had died at the hands of Andross. "Oh God... why..." he whimpered, crying into his hands. When he hid the stains of blood from his eyes, he was only assaulted with images in his head of the gruesome fight inside the warehouse. He lay there at least ten minutes, face pressed against the snow, feeling pain until there was nothing left to feel.

Long after his tears had dried, his wrist comm beeped. He took his time in answering, knowing who it was. "What?" he spat.

"I was calling about our deal," Mothchild's voice answered him, but something was missing from it, maybe the pride or malice that normally tinged it. In a way, he sounded just as defeated as Fox.

Ignoring the change, Fox channeled his grief into anger. "Look, the job is done, but my contract is off. I'm quitting. The briefcase is outside the warehouse, you can pick it up whenever you feel like. I'm not accepting any pay, I don't want your money."

"McCloud... _Fox_... the credits don't matter anymore."

"What do you mean?" Fox asked, a wrench thrown into his rage.

"_Nothing_ matters anymore..." Mothchild breathed heavily, causing the comm to fill with a storm of static. "Here, this will do a better job of explaining than I could. I'm sending you a link... and I'm... sorry, Fox."

Fox sat up, opening the link to a news article. His jaw slowly dropped as white light lit his face from images of the New Year's Clock, the black hand of Androssian family, and Dash Bowman's warning. "No..." he whispered. He dropped the wrist comm into the snow and dropped to the ground once again, dizzied by the events of the day. It was all too much, but after what had happened, he was actually prepared for the end of the world, welcoming, even.

Lifting his head up, Fox scanned his surroundings. The cloudy sky was lit by the blue glow of dusk, the rays of the sun absent from the early morning. Directly in front of him was a forest that lead on like an ocean into the wilderness, the dark trees covered in snow. Suddenly, he saw movement at the edge of the woods.

He struggled to his feet, narrowing his eyes at the tree line. He was able to make out some sort of animal hiding in the shadow of a tree. Curious, Fox cautiously stepped over towards the forest, keeping his eyes on the creature. It was a young vulpine, dressed in casual clothes that were definitely too cold for winter. The strangest thing, however was the animal's blue fur, that Fox knew belonged to only two people in the universe. He rubbed his eyes, making sure it wasn't an illusion.

"M-Marcus?" Fox called. The animal didn't react. "Marcus, how did you get... how are you... not... _dead_?" he said, choking on the last word.

His long lost son finally waved at him, then turned around and bounded into the woods. Afraid of losing him, Fox took off, sprinting into the woods after him.

* * *

Katt audibly gulped as a blood-hound guard opened the door in front of her, gesturing for her to enter. Hesitantly stepping in, she looked around the small room's interior. The prison's visiting room was not what she was expecting it to be. Katt had always seen them depicted as dark, dingy rooms with rows of stations for meeting, a long glass wall for viewing, cheap telephones, and guards with machine guns posted at every door. Instead, she found a small, neat room with a glowing force field cutting it in half, with two chairs facing each other on either side. But the atmosphere was just as cold and unforgiving as expected. When she had fully entered, the guard behind her silently excused himself and left her alone with the occupant in the other side of the room.

Katt nervously seated herself in the steal chair on her half of the room, resting her forearms on the cold, metal armrests that froze her limbs. Her eyes darted back and force across the room, trying to find anything else to look at, instead of the person seated in the chair opposite her. Finally, she bit her lip and looked through the force field at the prisoner. Katt had been avoiding him for far too long.

Falco Lombardi, dressed in grey prison fatigues, sat opposite her, slouching in his chair.

"Falco..." Katt trailed off, not knowing where to begin.

The blue falcon remained silent, refusing to even look at her with his head facing downward.

"Look, Falco... I'm sorry."

He did nothing, as if he wanted more from her.

"I'm sorry for what happened... It's my fault you're in here... I got you roped into the Hot Rodders after the team fell apart, knowing the work they did wasn't strictly..."

"Legal," Falco finished for her.

"Yeah," Katt agreed, sniffing.

Falco coughed. "That wasn't your fault. I knew the risk. I took it. I ended up here, and you didn't. Hard facts of life."

Katt continued, "But when the job went wrong, and we all had to run for it, I chose him... Kit Kool... over you. When caught, we betrayed you to get off with an easier time."

Laughing bitterly, Falco replied, "What? You don't think I know all this?" He leaned back and swung his arms in a sweeping gesture to indicate the prison. "Wouldn't this be a pretty strong indicator that I was sold out? Now tell me something I don't know or leave me alone." With that, he stood up from his chair and turned towards the door.

Katt jumped out of her chair and rushed over to the field. "Wait! Falco, after we got out, I-I never saw Kit again... I promise. I left him for good. I had some time to think in prison, and realized I didn't care about him."

Falco stopped in front of the door and looked back over his shoulder. "However much time you had to think, I had longer. I've been locked up in this jail like a rooster in a chicken coop for far too long, longer than an 'I'm sorry' or an 'I love you' or any of that crud can make up for. What's done is done, Katt, and we can't change that... for the rest of our lives. We can't change it. Nothing will."

Katt glanced down at her watch, a tear dropping from her eye and smudging the glass. 22:08, only two hours left before midnight. Looking back up she said, "Falco, honestly, we can't avoid this anymore. If you haven't heard, the world is ending in a few hours, and I don't – "

Suddenly, Falco whirled around, grabbed the metal chair, and flung it straight at Katt. The force field deflected the chair, but Katt stumbled backwards out of reflex. In a moment, Falco was upon the force field, shouting at her in a mad rage. "WHAT DOES ANYONE CARE!? YOU THINK PEOPLE _WANT_ THE WORLD TO GO ON!? THE UNIVERSE IS JUST A BUNCH OF MUD-BALLS SPINNING AIMLESSLY ABOUT, AND WE HAPPEN TO BE ON THEM. YOU KNOW WHY PEOPLE DON'T CARE? PEOPLE STOP CARING WHEN THEY CAN'T CHANGE SOMETHING. THEY CAN'T CHANGE THE END OF THE WORLD, THEN THEY DON'T CARE. THEY CAN'T CHANGE A POLITICAL SYSTEM, THEN THEY DON'T CARE. I CAN'T FIX A RELATIONSHIP, THEN _I DON'T CARE!_" He slammed his head against the force field, then buried it in his arms as his body shook with silent sobs.

Katt waited a few seconds, watching the sad display of Falco's insecurity, then approached the field once again. Laying her paws on it, she leaned in close to where Falco was pressing himself against it. "Shhh... Falco, calm down. Just wait. Everything will be okay. You just have to hold on, and don't let go. Can you do me a favor?"

Falco took his head out of his wings and looked up at her. "What?"

"Promise me you'll stay with me all the way... until the end... until midnight. I don't want the world to end like this... after an argument, after a fight, all alone... do you?"

Falco pressed his hands against the field where Katt's hands were, coming the closest to touching as he could. His fit subsided as he looked back at her remorseful face and met her eyes. "No. I don't want this. I don't want any of it. But I still want you... I'm sorry, Katt, that it had to be this way. I know I'm an idiot sometimes... maybe all the time. I can't control myself... there's nothing I can do..."

"I don't care, Falco..." Katt whispered. "I'll take you however you are. Nothing matters to me anymore except you. Take everything else away, take the world away, and I still have you."

They closed their eyes as they pressed their heads against the field, Katt softly crying.

"You won't leave me, will you?" Katt asked.

"Never."

At that moment, the force field abruptly disappeared, uniting them once again. They fell towards each other, and Falco caught Katt in his arms, as they released their tears of joy. Sliding down to the floor, Falco rocked her back and forth as Katt lost herself in his comforting arms.

Behind her, Katt heard the door open again, as well as the footsteps of the guard entering.

"Look, you two, I don't know how to say this, but... you're free to go. I just don't give a dang anymore, and I'm sure no one else does. Now get out while you still are alive."

As he watched the reunited Falco and Katt leave the room, the bloodhound mumbled, "Well, I guess that Bowman fella knew what he was doin'."

* * *

"Marcus! Wait! Its me, your dad!"

But Marcus remained silent as he lead Fox through the snow-dusted forest. To the best of his abilities, Fox followed him, leaping over roots, ducking under branches, and swinging around trees, only managing to capture fleeting glimpses of his son before he disappeared behind another dormant tree. At one moment, when a long bare field separated them, Fox saw Marcus turn around and give him a curious smile. Bewildered, Fox slid to a stop and stared at him, only to have Marcus dive back into the woods. Renewing the chase, Fox sprinted on after him. After awhile, Fox heard a sound he had not heard in several years:

Marcus laughing.

At first it was a rare giggle or cry here and there, causing Fox's ears to perk up, but then it became so joyous that Fox soon found himself laughing along with him. They continued on like this for some time, Marcus leading Fox deeper and deeper into the wooded forest, the chase becoming more of a game than a frantic race. The calm blue light of the early dawn filtered through the branches, lighting Fox's way through the woods. He slid chaotically on the smooth, unspoiled carpet of snow that perfectly covered the forest floor. It was then that Fox realized Marcus was not making any footprints.

This stopped his laughter and made him doubt.

When he was beginning to tire of their little game, Fox leaned against a tree to catch his breath and watched Marcus disappear behind an embankment. "Woo, oh boy, guess I'm not as young as I, woo, to be," he gasped, heaving from the exertion. With some effort, he straightened back up and stumbled down the rest of the incline after Marcus. At the bottom, he slid out of the forest and onto a frozen stream. It was a rather large creek that must have frozen overnight, with a crystalline waterfall surrounded by large rocks and boulders on either side. Behind the brink of the waterfall, the warm glow of dawn was breaking, the sky turning cotton-candy pink and blue, but the sun was still below the horizon, as if waiting for the exact moment to make its entrance. Fox's eyes were immediately drawn to the top of the waterfall, awed at the beauty of the scene which was in stark contrast to his experience earlier.

A vulpine figure stood at the top of the waterfall, leaning on his knee and observing Fox. Jaw dropping, Fox recognized the animal as his father, wearing his favorite flight jacket, green cargo pants, red bandana, and signature sunglasses. Recovering after a few seconds, Fox called up to him, "Father? I-is it really you?"

James McCloud's ears perked up, and Fox expected him to answer. Instead, he turned around in slow motion to catch Marcus in his arms and swing him around, their uncontrolled laughs echoing like bells through the riverbed, a symphony to Fox's ears. As they slowed down, James pulled Marcus into a large hug, patting him on the back and whispering in his ear.

Fox watched the scene, part of him glad that his father and son were together; that was how he wanted it to be. But the spectacle struck a chord in his heart that made him feel jealous, and alone. His tail falling between his legs and ears drooping, Fox reluctantly turned his back on them and began trudging downstream, away from the waterfall.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Fox halted, turning around to face his father again. As he walked back to the waterfall, James put Marcus down and focused on his son below him. His father's perpetual smile turned into a frown. "Wow, just look at yourself, son."

Fox was again saddened as he looked down at his blood covered body. He held out his hands, spreading his fingers and turning them one way and another to see their horrible red stains. He opened them towards his father, at a loss. "I... I'm sorry, father. I don't know what I've done... it was horrible, the faces, the screams," Fox fell to his knees and covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut at the memory that refused to leave him. Gritting his teeth and heaving with anguish, he went on. "I'll never be able to get rid of this. I can't chase the memory away, I can't forget what I've done, it will always be with me, like a stain... that nothing can wash away..."

As Fox cried his heart out, James took out his pocket knife, tossing it in his hands once or twice, only to drive it into the edge of the frozen cascade. Until then, Fox had never seen James or Marcus interact with the physical world, a thought that remained at the back of his mind.

"Fox, listen to me; just let go. There are some things you have to face. All your life, you pretended the world was a perfect little place for you to escape to. You didn't have to feel anything, you didn't have to hurt, you just had to laugh and smile and front for people and yourself. But this world you've created isn't working. You've seen that. It's not worth the effort you're putting into it. Stop holding onto a perfect life you haven't even got." Pausing, James twisted the knife deeper into the ice. "Now, rise up, and let go." When Fox didn't move, he repeated the command. "Stand, Fox."

Reluctantly, Fox stood up, drying his eyes and facing the top of the waterfall. The sun was nearly bursting through the clouds now, like a river held by a dam, barely contained.

His father continued. "This may be the end Fox, but its also the beginning. This moment won't be easy, because, sometimes the hardest part of ending is the starting again part. Now let go of all the pain, let go of all the fear, let go of all the wrong you remember. Drop them as you would chains that hold you down, and rise." He twisted the knife still deeper into the ice, causing cracks to spread down the edge. "You are washed of blood, you are cleansed of poison, you are relieved of sorrow. Rise up, and let go."

Fox mimicked his father's posture, closing his eyes and spreading his arms wide. "Rise up... let go..."

James grinned. "I forgive you of your sins and welcome you unto a new life, and a new year. Make the most of what you have, and always reach higher." With that, he drew the knife back out, and plunged it back in with a savage movement. The waterfall cracked, releasing a wave of roaring, boiling water, and shards of ice that caught and reflected the morning light like stars, all falling just as the sun broke through the clouds and over the ridge in a blinding glow.

Fox caught his breath just as the wave of water and ice crashed upon him, forcing him over, bending him, breaking him, consuming him, renewing him. He let himself be washed away with the icy current, losing himself in the up and down motion of its waves, and the back and forth motion as it passed through the random curves of the stream bed.

* * *

Falco and Katt were seated on a park bench in the central plaza of Corneria city. Katt wrapped herself as best as she could in her leather jacket, but was unable to completely shield herself from the cold. Falco sat with his arm around her, legs crossed. They both had been trying to get their minds off of the world's impending doom, but eventually gave up and just enjoyed each others' company for the last few minutes of their lives.

Surprisingly, the plaza was not as crowded as it was earlier. Most people had gone home or other places to enjoy the last few hours of their lives instead of wasting them sitting in front of a giant clock. But Falco and Katt were content with the plaza.

The giant clock indicated the time was eleven fifty-seven, mere minutes to midnight.

Katt leaned her head back on Falco's shoulder, scooting closer to him. Really, she should have been anxious about the end of the world, but was overwhelmed with a calming sense of peace.

"Falco?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"Would you marry me if the world wasn't about to end?"

Falco snorted at the absurdity of the question. "Well now, we wouldn't have gotten back together again if the world wasn't ending, would we? So I guess the answer would be... no."

Katt rolled her eyes. "No, I mean, if Bowman were to pop out randomly and say, 'April Fools!' or, something, then would you?"

"Uh, if you hadn't noticed, it's New Year's Eve right now, so it would be pretty impossible for it to be April – "

"Falco..." Katt growled.

"Alright, sheesh, you want a serious answer? Then, I have to admit, yeah, I would," he finished, grinning sheepishly. Glancing at the clock, he noticed they had less than a minute left. An idea suddenly struck him. Swinging down from the park bench to the ground, he knelt on the cold stone sidewalk. He twisted an old ring of his off his finger and fiddled with it in his hands.

"Look, Katt, I've known you longer and been with you longer than anyone else in the world, longer than the Hot Rodders, longer than Starfox, longer than my own mother, even. I've always wanted you to know all the good things I thought about you, but I was never any good with relationships, and those thoughts would get lost before they made it to my mouth. But now I can finally say those things. Katt, I... I love you, and that's enough for me. Will you marry me?"

Katt's face went from a shocked expression to a warm smile as she knelt down and took Falco's wing. "And regardless of the end, Falco, I accept. Yes."

They fell against each other and kissed, as best as a feline and an avian could. They held each other for the last few seconds left in the world, together until the end.

Across from them, a live feed of Dash Bowman appeared next to the clock, appearing like the devil coming to collect Faustus' soul at the end of his life. It looked like he had fallen to pieces himself over the course of the night. Before him on a desk was a simple transmitter with a single button in it. Dash leaned over the table, refusing to look at the camera as he picked up the device. "Lylat, I regret to announce this is the end. I'm done. I have nothing left to say. Midnight is upon us. I regret to announce this is the end..." he slowly reached for the button on the transmitter, and for one agonizing second, let his finger hover over the button. Finally, he let it fall...

And the button was pressed.

* * *

Fox awoke in a whole new world.

The first thing he noticed was the cold.

_That's funny, hell was supposed to be much more hot, and heaven was supposed to be more pleasant. Maybe its __just__ the altitude._

Next he became aware of rushing water next to his face. He opened his eyes, and let a world of black be dispelled by a world of white. Once the effect of the blinding light wore off, he noticed he was lying down in the stream, cheek pressed against its icy water. All he saw was a sea of white; a starry liquid like molten silver passed underneath him, saturating his clothes and fur. All around him, lily white snow covered the landscape like a thick blanket. Above, the sky was filled with the blinding rays of the sun, as if they were from God's face, impossible to look upon. Fox raised his hand to his face, blocking the light while at the same time checking his golden fur. He smiled.

The blood was gone.

To him, it was just as white and pure as the snow. Relieved, and finally at peace after so many years, he let his hand fall away from his eyes, revealing what lay behind it. A bundle of ragged azure fur and clothes was curled up across from him, also lying in the thin stream bed. A head suddenly became visible, and as Fox's vision crystallized, he was able to make out emerald green eyes, a small, black nose, and short, curled tufts of violet hair matted down by the stream. The two creatures' eyes finally met.

"Krystal?" Fox said, voice hoarse from the events of the night.

"Fox?" she answered, lifting her head to look at him better.

"What are you doing here?" they asked at the same time, eliciting a smile from them both.

"I guess you had the same experience I did? With the waterfall and the... uh..."

"Yes, Fox," Krystal said, dragging herself through the stony stream bed towards him. When they were close enough, they touched their heads together, closing their eyes and forgetting about the past and the future completely. In that moment, all that existed was now.

Jokingly, Krystal whispered, "So, what was that I heard recently? It was pretty important. Something about... the end of the world?"

Fox groaned. "Oh, can't it wait?"

Krystal raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you aren't ready?"

"No... I'm ready as I'll ever be." Fox lazily activated his wrist comm and tuned into the news station. He was shocked to realize the time was seconds away from midnight.

Dash Bowman was just saying, "...I regret to announce, this is the end..." Fox and Krystal watched as Dash reluctantly reached forward... and pressed the button.

Fox waited for the inevitable; the sudden burst from the sun, rays of powerful light burning the surface of the planet, and the eventual disintegration of the entire Lylat System.

None of it came.

"What?" Krystal said.

Fox wiped a splotch of water off of the screen so they could see what was happening. Dash Bowman picked up the transmitter, snapped it in two, and unceremoniously chucked the two pieces over his shoulder. Tears dripping out of his red-stained eyes, he faced the camera.

"This is the end. But now let a new year begin, a new year where we can forget the crimes, and sins, and trespasses of everyone, of our family, of our friends, of our neighbors, of Andross... and even his grandson." He stopped, letting his head fall into his hands. "I await the Cornerian forces on Zoness, ready to pay for my crimes."

Fox and Krystal burst out in joyous screams and laughter as they held each other and writhed around in the wet riverbed, thrilled to be alive. When they stopped to rest, they found themselves staring into each others' eyes again.

"Well, you know what this means..." Fox said.

"What?"

"It means we have to reform the team and save Dash."

"Right, Fox, Let's begin a new year."

* * *

** A/N: After reading a few of the more humorous stories, I realized I should have written a comedy instead of this... _tear-jerker_. Humor is what I normally write, and often times while writing a more serious story, I can't keep from making a joke that spoils the whole gravity of the scene.**

**F****inally, have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!**


End file.
